Want to go pro someday.. advice please.

[Moose]

Guys,

For lack of a better word, I can "feel" my game getting better lately, and having placed in the money in my last three events (spanning 10 tournaments), I of course get the same wandering thought about going pro someday.

I'd love to hear from any professional players, especially tournament players. My heart lies with the game, there is no doubt about that. Do tournaments represent the future of mainstream poker? Is corporate sponsorship a dawning reality, or just a pipe dream.

All comments and feedback appreciated. Someday I'll have to make a tough decision and all the help I can get for that day is appreciated.

M.

[sam h]

I'm certainly no tourney pro, so I can't give you first-hand advice.

What I can tell you is that you have a much greater chance of making a living as a ring game player than as a tournament player. The tournament circuit is very competitive and, because of travelling expenses and the house take, only the very best make a good living as pros. This isn't golf, where you can be some shmuck and still make over 100K a year. If its what you really love, then take a shot. Just understand you're not getting very good odds and be mentally prepared to weather some real ups and downs.

While tournament poker is being pushed by the powers that be and the WPT seems to be a moderate success, I wouldn't bet on tournaments becoming "the future of mainstream poker." IMHO, significant corporate sponsorship is indeed a pipe dream. We're not talking about big television audiences on the Travel Channel, and while you can make an argument that poker is a growing phenomenon, there is an equally valid counterargument that its growth potential is still limited and that it will never be a mainstream entertainment vehicle. Plus, many companies may be hesitant to sponsor poker because of branding concerns. And, unlike golf, tennis, or even pool, there aren't any industry-specific companies that will sponsor events with significant dollars ("The World Series of Poker, brought to you by Kem Cards, the Cards of Champions!").